It’s the ‘gold standard’ in autism care. Why are states reining it in?

By Bram Sable-Smith and Andrew Jones, KFF Health News

ALEXANDER, N.C. — Aubreigh Osborne has a new best friend.

Dressed in blue with a big ribbon in her blond curls, the 3-year-old sat in her mother’s lap carefully enunciating a classmate’s first name after hearing the words “best friend.” Just months ago, Gaile Osborne didn’t expect her adoptive daughter would make friends at school.

Diagnosed with autism at 14 months, Aubreigh Osborne started last year struggling to control outbursts and sometimes hurting herself.